The United States and China's first round of high-level trade talks ended May 4 with little progress made. The prospect of a quick resolution to the trade spat between China and the United States was never high to begin with, but two days of talks in Beijing saw the U.S. delegation, which included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, issue its demands to Chinese negotiators. Beijing and Washington are in for a long haul before they find common ground. The U.S. demands can be grouped around six key themes: 1. Trade Balance. The United States wants China to cut its trade surplus with the United States by $200 billion by the end of 2020 compared with 2018 levels.